Why had Marcus kept this from me?
I heard him talking on the phone in his study but decided not to confront him—yet. Instead, I began making dinner, though my mind was far from the task.
At dinner, the tension was thick. I could barely look at Marcus without my frustration bubbling over, but I stayed quiet, waiting to see if he’d say anything.
“We need to get the car looked at,” I said, breaking the silence. “The transmission’s getting worse.”
Marcus didn’t even glance up. “We’ll have to wait. We don’t have the money right now,” he said casually.
I stared at him, barely containing my anger. He said it so convincingly, like the hidden cash didn’t exist, like we were still scraping by.
The next morning, I did something I’d never imagined. I booked myself a luxury spa day—hair, nails, massage, the works. It was impulsive, but I didn’t care. The money was there, and I needed this.
When I got home that evening, I hardly recognized myself. My hair was styled, nails perfectly manicured. I looked like someone who had it all together.
Marcus walked in and stopped in his tracks. “What did you do?” he asked, eyes wide.
“I found the money in the cereal box,” I said coolly. “I figured I deserved a day off.”
His face paled. “You weren’t supposed to spend that. It wasn’t for… this.”
“What was it for, Marcus?” I asked, my voice calm but firm. “Because I’ve been working myself to exhaustion, thinking we’re struggling, while you’ve been hiding cash. What was it for?”
He sighed, sinking into a chair. “My boss hinted at layoffs. I was trying to set aside money, just in case. I didn’t want to worry you over something that might not happen.”
“Worry? That’s all I’ve been doing!” I snapped. “You thought hiding money would fix that?”
He rubbed his face, regret etched in his features. “I’m sorry, Jess. I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I just didn’t want to make things worse.”
His words stung, but I could see the fear behind them. He hadn’t meant to hurt me—he was trying to protect us. But it didn’t make it right.
The next morning, I told Marcus I wouldn’t raid any more cereal boxes without asking, and he promised there’d be no more secrets.
We were still struggling, but at least now, we were facing it together.
Or so I hoped.
What would you have done in my shoes?
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you…